Comments by "Guy Who Likes Ecclesiastes" (@EcclesiastesLiker-py5ts) on "What happens if Damascus falls?" video.

Alawites are sort of Shia. Nowadays they have allied with Shi'ism, but in part that's just because Shia Iran supports Turkey. Assad himself is secular, a Baathist, Baathists being a political ideology defined by a mix of fascism and socialism that only really exist among Arabs. In the past Alawites have been the subject of study by western scholars, but they keep their religions beliefs secret, and may have intentionally lied to outsiders about what they believe so as to spread uncertainty. Maybe they really are Shia, but if so they don't make it that simple.
6